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Learn Why We Consider This Western A Steampunk Classic

The Wild Wild West is a movie that was generally repulsive to critics. It received scathing reviews on Rotten tomatoes, and was nominated for Razzies left and right. However, even though many would say that the film was an overall failure, we love it for its steampunk elements. The movie is a fusion between western, comedy, action, and steampunk overall, but in areas where the other genres fall short, steampunk excels.

The costumes for characters like Loveless, West, and Gordon have become classics for not only steampunk fashions in the western category. As many steampunkers know, steampunk spans past-apocalyptic to the west to the Victorian era and everything in between. The Wild Wild West plays on this, especially with the costume of Loveless.

The Loveless wheelchair is steam-powered, which is the entire point of steampunk fashion. The wheelchair eventually becomes a tool for powering a giant spider that Loveless uses to try and thwart West and Gordon. Of course, the good guys win. But that doesn’t make the wheelchair and its steampunk spider any less cool.

The heroes in the steampunk saga are wearing less obtuse steampunk accessories. For instance, they don the classic watch chain and top hats common not only to the Victorian era, but also steampunk fashion. Their accessories get more overt throughout the movie, however, when they don goggles for their ride through the sky, which is a nod to post-apocalyptic steampunk fashion.

Between the corsets, petticoats, and attitude, Rita Escobar is a prime example of the steampunk in the movie. Always clothed in a bustier, ruffled petticoat, and ready to fight, she has the right mix to be a steampunk classic. Her hair is larger than life, complete with feathers and curls.

While most can agree that the movie The Wild Wild West wasn’t Will Smith’s best movie or the funniest movie of 1999, it did give some serious insight into steampunk fashion. What are some of your favorite steampunk fashions from the movie?